FIC: "Discordant Notes", PG, McBeck AU100
Title: Discordant Notes
Author: severusslave
Pairing: Rodney McKay/Carson Beckett
Rating: PG
Words: 570
Summary: Rodney tries to cope with the fact that he's deaf. As does Carson. AU.
Notes: Written for au100's prompt #82 Deaf; poked at by fragilecat. Kisses.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, God, please, please, please, oh God." Rodney McKay was not a man of faith. He was not a man of religion.
His voice failed him before he could finish his pleas. He wouldn't have heard it anyway.
+++
Dr. med. Carson Beckett wouldn't have thought that he could endure over a week of it - it, the keening - but here he was. Sitting in their kitchenette, his face in his cupped hands with tears making their way between them to drop down into his cup full of long cold coffee dregs.
His thumbs were digging into his ears, pressing them closed. He was trying to shut out those terrible noises. He couldn't stand them any longer.
He almost wished he was as deaf as Rodney who was sitting at his piano with his head on the keys - the salty tears were beginning to ruin the wood's finish.
Two simultaneous, discordant notes echoed through the rooms.
+++
Three days later and Rodney had stopped.
Three days and eight hours later and Carson learned that his stopping meant that Rodney had stopped speaking at all.
Three days, eight hours and twelve minutes later and Carson learned that Rodney wasn't even willing to scribble down notes for him.
+++
Three months later and Rodney had sold one of his pianos to his favourite pupil who was getting married and told him that he should state a very high prize for it seeing as her future father-in-law, whom she did not like, was paying for it as a wedding gift. And don't you be generous on my behalf! I think very highly of you, Mr. The great McKay! And my home would be empty without something that reminds me of you!
She was very fond of exclamation marks in her notes for a thirty years old woman.
He would miss both of them like crazy.
+++
One day when Rodney woke up Carson was not lying next to him. When he stumbled into the kitchenette and to the coffee-maker Rodney found two books next to it.
Between them there was a yellow post-it. It said: Which one will it be? One of them has a future.
It was two grade eight school books. The Concise History of Classical Music and Comprehending Physics.
Rodney turned the post-it around. On its other side, neatly under the sticky glue stripe were two additional words. With me.
Rodney sat down on the next available chair. He stared at the two books for hours. He was a genius. He thought lots of thoughts. But most of all he just waited for Carson to come home from his interview.
+++
Right now he lays next to his lover on their bed and is soothed to sleep by the now calm waves that slosh against Atlantis. His arm hurts like a bitch. Signing would be a drag the next week but he could trust Zelenka to do all the speaking and yelling he needed him to do. As usual.
He had not thought that his life would be as fulfilled again as it had been when he had his music. But it was. Except man-eating aliens, big honking storms, Kolya, lemons and... ah, hell. He still missed Carson's voice.
It is about 2 am and Rodney forces himself to fall asleep. He'd done his share of work today.
Author: severusslave
Pairing: Rodney McKay/Carson Beckett
Rating: PG
Words: 570
Summary: Rodney tries to cope with the fact that he's deaf. As does Carson. AU.
Notes: Written for au100's prompt #82 Deaf; poked at by fragilecat. Kisses.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, God, please, please, please, oh God." Rodney McKay was not a man of faith. He was not a man of religion.
His voice failed him before he could finish his pleas. He wouldn't have heard it anyway.
+++
Dr. med. Carson Beckett wouldn't have thought that he could endure over a week of it - it, the keening - but here he was. Sitting in their kitchenette, his face in his cupped hands with tears making their way between them to drop down into his cup full of long cold coffee dregs.
His thumbs were digging into his ears, pressing them closed. He was trying to shut out those terrible noises. He couldn't stand them any longer.
He almost wished he was as deaf as Rodney who was sitting at his piano with his head on the keys - the salty tears were beginning to ruin the wood's finish.
Two simultaneous, discordant notes echoed through the rooms.
+++
Three days later and Rodney had stopped.
Three days and eight hours later and Carson learned that his stopping meant that Rodney had stopped speaking at all.
Three days, eight hours and twelve minutes later and Carson learned that Rodney wasn't even willing to scribble down notes for him.
+++
Three months later and Rodney had sold one of his pianos to his favourite pupil who was getting married and told him that he should state a very high prize for it seeing as her future father-in-law, whom she did not like, was paying for it as a wedding gift. And don't you be generous on my behalf! I think very highly of you, Mr. The great McKay! And my home would be empty without something that reminds me of you!
She was very fond of exclamation marks in her notes for a thirty years old woman.
He would miss both of them like crazy.
+++
One day when Rodney woke up Carson was not lying next to him. When he stumbled into the kitchenette and to the coffee-maker Rodney found two books next to it.
Between them there was a yellow post-it. It said: Which one will it be? One of them has a future.
It was two grade eight school books. The Concise History of Classical Music and Comprehending Physics.
Rodney turned the post-it around. On its other side, neatly under the sticky glue stripe were two additional words. With me.
Rodney sat down on the next available chair. He stared at the two books for hours. He was a genius. He thought lots of thoughts. But most of all he just waited for Carson to come home from his interview.
+++
Right now he lays next to his lover on their bed and is soothed to sleep by the now calm waves that slosh against Atlantis. His arm hurts like a bitch. Signing would be a drag the next week but he could trust Zelenka to do all the speaking and yelling he needed him to do. As usual.
He had not thought that his life would be as fulfilled again as it had been when he had his music. But it was. Except man-eating aliens, big honking storms, Kolya, lemons and... ah, hell. He still missed Carson's voice.
It is about 2 am and Rodney forces himself to fall asleep. He'd done his share of work today.